20 THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 



business the instant they arrived on the scene of ac- 

 tion ; in order, to use their own expression, to pay 

 themselves beforehand (se dedom?nager d 'avarice) 

 for any mishaps which might in the future befall 

 themselves or their countrymen. The arrogant pre- 

 tensions of Spain were also resisted by the sovereigns 

 of England, though feebly and inefficiently ; and it 

 was not only in the harbor of Cadiz that Elizabeth's 

 sailors, in Drake's expressive phrase, " singed the 

 whiskers" of the projector of the Armada. Ihe 

 English queen ridiculed the Spaniards' assumption 

 of exclusive sovereignty over regions which they 

 could not even pretend proximately to occupy ; 

 James and Charles held the same doctrine ; and 

 Northern America, which Spain, finding no gold 

 there, cared little about, was gradually colonized. 

 The effective chastisement of the Spaniards in the 

 American seas, was reserved for the strong hand of 

 Cromwell. Beneath the shadow of his terrible name 

 the infant states dwelt in peace ; the island of Ja- 

 maica was wrested from Spain ; and the buccaneers 

 were astonished and displeased to find their vocation 

 suddenly gone by the appearance of the Protector's 

 admirals in the waters where the flag of England had 

 never before waved in triumph and supremacy. The 

 Restoration once more changed the aspect of affairs, 

 and the sea-rovers and their foes were again engaged 

 in incessant conflict. This was the period of the cele- 

 brated Sir Henry Morgan's exploits, the most re- 

 doubtable of the Brethren of the Coast, and a gen- 

 tleman who, for his great and varied merits, or the 



